The present invention relates to a digital signal recording method and recording apparatus and a recording medium therefor. More specifically this invention relates to a digital signal recording method and apparatus for recording a plurality of different sorts of normal reproduction digital signals and special reproduction digital signals on a tape-form recording medium by use of a rotary head, and a recording medium used for the digital signal recording method and apparatus.
In general, when digital signals are recorded in unit of data block on and reproduced from a tape-form recording medium such a magnetic tape by use of a rotary head. There is a case that a trick play reproduction (special reproduction) such that digital signals are reproduced at a speed different from the speed at which the digital signals are recorded. The data recorded for the normal reproduction are reproduced discontinuously at certain time intervals in this case. Because the scanning pattern of the rotary head on the tape-form recording medium is different from that obtained when the digital signals are reproduced in the normal reproduction. It is thus difficult to obtain the trick play reproduction signals without any additional processing.
Therefore, conventionally, there has been known a digital signal recording method for enabling the special reproduction as disclosed in Japanese Patent-Laid Open No. 1994-261278. This teaches that digital signals for the special reproduction are arranged and recorded on tracks on which normal reproduction digital signals are recorded along the rotary head scanning pattern obtained in the special reproduction.
In such a digital signal recording method, the recording format of the digital signals recorded on each track of a tape-form recording medium is kept constant. It is thus impossible to record digital signals of desired systems in various formats (e.g., such a format that a plurality of data areas are arranged on a single track so that digital signals can be recorded and reproduced independently) by use of a signal apparatus.
In addition, there is a case where the digital signals for the normal reproduction and the special reproduction are recorded on the recording medium under mixed conditions. The data rate of the special reproduction digital signals and the arrangement positions of the special reproduction digital signals in this case are different from each other. Because the recording formats of the digital signals are different from each other. There arises a problem in that a circuit for forming the special reproduction digital signals and a circuit for recording the special reproduction digital signals at specific positions on the tape-form recording medium are both complicated in circuit construction.